DPD UK orders 341 Mercedes-Benz eSprinter vehicles
Parcel delivery service DPD is expanding its UK delivery fleet by adding 341 Mercedes eSprinter vehicles. The first electric trucks will go into operation in September, with all of them expected to be in use by the end of October to support the Christmas shopping season. As a result, DPD says its UK electric fleet will grow to over 4,000 vehicles.
Image: DPD UK
The vehicles are supplied by Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle dealer eStar, which operates six locations in northwest England and north Wales. The delivery of the 341 eSprinter trucks is part of a broader fleet agreement, in which service through Mercedes’ UK dealer network also plays a key role.
According to eStar CEO Steve Bridge, DPD took the entire service life of the vehicles into consideration when making the allocation decision. Availability and maintenance were at the core of that choice. Rob Dawson, Head of LCV at DPD UK, also emphasizes the role of the partner: “As we continuously invest in a more sustainable fleet, working with the right partners is just as important as selecting the right vehicles.”
Out of the city center
Ollie Craughan, Head of Sustainability at DPD UK, says that large vans are the backbone of DPD’s last-mile delivery service. To date, the company’s electric fleet operates in more than 7,300 British postal codes, mostly in city centers where reducing diesel emissions is particularly important. With larger batteries and greater range, more depots can now use large electric trucks for deliveries in more remote areas. The new eSprinter models are designed to operate both within London’s M25 motorway ring and in other parts of the country.
In the UK, Mercedes-Benz Vans offers the eSprinter van with power outputs of 100 or 150 kW, along with batteries having energy capacities of 81 or 113 kWh. The fact that the eSprinter can carry as much weight as a comparable 3.5-ton diesel vehicle despite its heavy battery is likely due to a UK-specific rule: electric trucks there are allowed to weigh up to 4.25 tons with a standard car driver’s license, which compensates for the extra weight of the battery. However, the statements do not reveal which configuration the delivery service has chosen.
The electric fleet is apparently growing slower than planned
DPD has been electrifying its delivery fleet in the UK since 2018, when the company opened the country’s first fully electric parcel depot. By 2021, the electric fleet grew from 750 Maxus vehicles to just under 1,500. In 2022, the company placed a large order for 1,000 Ford E-Transit vehicles. At that time, DPD UK aimed to have around 5,000 electric vehicles by the end of 2023, but by 2023 the target had been reduced to 4,000. In the summer of 2024, after delivering another 350 E-Transit vehicles, the company reported an electric fleet of nearly 4,000 vehicles.
Two years later, it is now expected to exceed 4,000 vehicles with the addition of 341 eSprinter units. Mathematically, this would put the fleet at around 4,300 vehicles. However, the current information does not indicate whether DPD has phased out older electric delivery trucks or if the fleet was smaller in 2024 than announced.